Commission Adopts New State Seal, Narrows Flag Designs To Top Three

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota is one step closer to a new state flag after the commission tasked with re-imagining it landed on the top three designs.

The State Emblems Redesign Commission on Tuesday voted to cut the group of finalists in half after it had narrowed more than 2,000 submissions to just six last month. They allowed the public to give feedback online and received thousands of comments, and displayed those ideas at the Mall of America over the weekend.

But these designs as they are are far from final. Their vote to choose them came with the caveat that they could make changes.

After selecting the top three, members went back and forth about swapping different design elements like the stars' shape or changing and rearranging the colors. They analyzed mock-ups of variations of each and plan to have designers create refined versions with their suggestions.

The panel also formally adopted the state seal design after it made small tweaks from the original submission it selected from all of the rest last week. It changed the color of the loon's eye color to red and removed 1858, the year of statehood.

Members also voted to take off "L'Etoile du Nord," the state's motto, from the center of the seal above the loon, which is the prominent design element. Instead, they opted to include "Mni Sota Makoce," the Dakota word from which the state gets its name. It translates to "land where the water reflects the clouds."

SOURCE: CBS NEWS MINNESOTA